NEW L-KNEE

[flynrider]

I worked at an orthopedic company for a few years and I learned a bit about what goes into that. Be glad you were asleep for the surgery because, let me tell you, they are not nice to your bones. Banging, cutting and drilling to make the implants fit.
If you had a total joint replacement there should be 4 pieces in there....Femoral, Tibial, Patella and the articulation surface that everything rides on. It's pretty interesting stuff.
Do your PT and you should be good to go for 20 years. Losing weight always helps.

Years ago the local PBS station televised a knee replacement surgery. The amount of hammering and sawing involved made it look more like gruesome carpentry than surgery.

Good luck with the recovery, PB. My good friend had 3 knee replacements over the course of 4 years (the first one was defective). He said the physical therapy required was not fun, but the results were well worth it. He's an avid mountain biker / hiker and was back to normal activities within a few months.